The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 2
DIRECTION II.
2. Make as full a Diſcovery as you can, how much of the trouble of your minde doth ariſe from your Melancholy, and bodily diſtempers, and how much from diſcontenting afflictions in your worldly Eſtate, or Friends, or Name. And according to your Diſcovery make uſe of the Remedy.
I Put theſe two Cauſes of trouble here together in the beginning, becauſe I will preſently diſmiſs them, and apply the reſt of theſe Directions only to thoſe Troubles that are raiſed from ſins and wants in Grace.
1. For Melancholy, I have by long experience found it to have ſo great and common a hand in the fears and troubles of minde, that I meet not with one of many that live in great Troubles and fears for any long time together, but Melancholy is the main ſeat of them: Though they feel nothing in their body, but all in their Minde. I would have ſuch perſons make uſe of ſome able godly Phiſitian, and he will help them to diſcern how much of their Trouble comes from Melancholy. Where this is the Cauſe, uſually the party is Fearfull of almoſt every thing: a word, or a ſudden thought will diſquiet them: Sometime they are ſad and ſcarce know why: all Comforts are of no continuance with them: but as ſoon as you have done comforting them, & they be never ſo well ſatisfied, yet the trouble returns in a few dayes or hours, as ſoon as the dark and troubled ſpirits return to their former force: They are ſtill addicted to muſing and ſolitarineſs, and thoughts will run in their mindes, that they cannot lay them by: If it go any thing farre; they are almoſt alwayes aſſaulted with Temptations to Blaſphemy, to doubt whether there be a God, or a Chriſt, or the Scriptures be true; or whether there be a Heaven or a Hell: and oft tempted to ſpeak ſome blaſphemous words againſt God; and this with ſuch importunity that they can hardly forbear: and oft times they are tempted to make away themſelves. When it goes ſo farre, they are next to the loſs of the uſe of reaſon, if it be not prevented.
Now to thoſe that finde that Melancholy is the Cauſe of their Troubles I would give this advice. 1. Expect not that Rational, Spiritual Remedies ſhould ſuffice for this Cure: For you may as well expect that a good Sermon or comfortable words ſhould cure the falling Sickneſs, or Palſie, or a broken head, as to be a ſufficient Cure to your Melancholy fears. For this is as reall a bodily diſeaſe as the other: Only becauſe it works on the ſpirits and phantaſie, on which words of advice do alſo work, therefore ſuch words, and Scripture, and Reaſon, may ſomewhat reſiſt it, and may palliate or allay ſome of the effects at the preſent: but as ſoon as time hath worn off the force and effects of theſe Reaſons, the diſtemper preſently returns.
For the Humour hath the advantage 1. Of continuall preſence, 2. Of a more neceſſary, naturall and ſenſible way of working. As if a man be in an eaſie Lethargy; you may awake him ſo long as you are calling on him aloud, but as ſoon as you ceaſe, he is aſleep again: Such is the caſe of the Melancholy in their ſorrows: For it is as natural for Melancholy to cauſe fears and diſquietneſs of minde, as for Phlegme in a Lethargy to cauſe ſleep.
Do not therefore lay the blame on your Books, Friends, Counſels, Inſtructions (no nor all on your Soul,) if theſe Troubles be not cured by words. But labour to diſcern truly how much of your Trouble comes this way, and then fix it in your minde in all your Enquiries, Reading and Hearing, that it is the other part of your Trouble which is truly Rational, and not this part of it which is from Melancholy, that theſe means were ordained to remove (though God may alſo bleſs them extraordinarily to do both.) Only conſtant importunate Prayer, is a fit and ſpecial means for the Curing of all.
2. When you have truly found out, how much of your Diſquietneſs proceeds from Melancholy, acquit your ſoul from that part of it: Still remember in all your ſelf-examinations, ſelf-judgings and reflections on your heart, that it is not directly to be charged with thoſe ſorrowes that come from your Spleen: ſave only remotely, as all other Diſeaſes are the fruits of ſin: as a Lethargick dullneſs is the deſerved fruit of ſin; but he that ſhould charge it immediatly on his ſoul, ſhould wrong himſelf, and he that would attempt the Cure muſt do it on the Body.
3. If you would have theſe fears and troubles removed, apply your ſelf to the proper Cure of Melancholy. 1. Avoid all paſſions of ſorrow, fear and anger as much as you can; and all occaſions of diſcontent and grief. 2. Avoid much ſolitarineſs, and be moſt commonly in ſome cheerfull company: Not that I would have you do as the fooliſh ſinners of the world do, to drink away Melancholy, and keep company with ſenſual, vain and unprofitable perſons that will draw you deeper into ſin, and ſo make your wound greater inſtead of healing it, and multiply your Troubles when you are forced to look back on your ſinfull loſs of time: But keep company with the more cheerfull ſort of the Godly: There's no mirth like the mirth of Believers, which faith doth fetch from the bloud of Chriſt, and from the Promiſes of the Word, and from experiences of Mercy, and from the ſerious fore-apprehenſions of our everlaſting Bleſſedneſs. Converſe with men of ſtrongeſt faith that have this heavenly mirth, and can ſpeak experimentally of the Joy of the holy Ghoſt; and theſe will be a great help to the reviving of your ſpirit, and changing your Melancholy habit, ſo far as without duplicate page duplicate page out a Phyſitian it may be expected. Yet ſometimes it may not be amiſs to confer with ſome that are in your own Caſe, that you may ſee that your Condition is not ſingular: For Melancholy people in ſuch diſtreſſes are ready to think, that never any was in the Caſe as they are in, or at leaſt, never any that were truly godly: when you hear people of the moſt upright lives and that truly fear God, to have the very ſame complaints as you have your ſelf, it may give you ſome hopes that it is not ſo bad as you before did imagin. However be ſure that you avoid ſolitarineſs as much as you well can. 3. Alſo take heed of too deep, fixed, muſing thoughts: ſtudying and ſerious meditating be not duties for the deeply-Melancholy (as I ſhall ſhew more in the following Directions:) You muſt let thoſe alone till you are better able to perform them; leſt by attempting thoſe duties which you cannot perform, you ſhall utterly diſable your ſelf from all: Therefore I would adviſe you, by all means to ſhake and rowſe your ſelf out of ſuch muſings, and ſuddenly to turn your thoughts away to ſomething elſe. 4. To this end, be ſure that you avoid Idleneſs and want of imployment: which as it is a life not pleaſing to God, ſo is it the opportunity for Melancholy thoughts to be working, and the chiefeſt ſeaſon for Satan to tempt you. Never let the Devil finde you unimployed: but ſee that you go cheerfully about the works of your Calling, and follow it with diligence; and that time which you redeem for ſpiritual exerciſes, let it be moſt ſpent in Thanksgiving, and Prayſes, and heavenly Conference.
Theſe things may do much for prevention, and abating your diſeaſe if it be not gone too far: but if it be, you were beſt have recourſe to the Phyſitian, and expect Gods bleſſing in the uſe of means: and you will finde when your Body is once cured, the diſquietneſs of your Minde will vaniſh of it ſelf.
2. The ſecond part of this Direction was, That you take notice how much of your diſquietneſs may proceed from outward Croſſes: for it is ordinary for theſe to lye at the root and bring the heart into a diſquiet and diſcontent, and then trouble for ſin doth follow after. Alas, how oft have I ſeen that verified of the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 7.10. The ſorrow of the world worketh death. How many even godly people have I known, that through croſſes in children or friends, or loſſes in their eſtates, or wrongs from men, or perplexities that through ſome unadviſedneſs they were caſt into, or the like, have fallen into mortall Diſeaſes, or into ſuch a fixed Melancholy, that ſome of them have gone beſides themſelves, and others have lived in fears and doubting ever after, by the removall of the diſquietneſs to their conſciences? How ſad a thing is it, that we ſhould thus add to our own Afflictions? and the heavier we judge the burden, the more we lay on! As if God had not done enough, or would not ſufficiently afflict us? We may more comfortably bear that which God layeth on us, then that which we immediately lay upon our ſelves! Croſſes are not great or ſmall according to the bulk of the matter, but according chiefly to the minde of the ſufferer. Or elſe how could holy men rejoyce in Tribulation, and be exceeding glad that they are accounted worthy to ſuffer for Chriſt? Reproaches, wrongs, loſſes are all without you: unleſs you open them the door wilfully your ſelf, they cannot come in to the heart. God hath not put the Joy or Grief of your Heart in any other mans power, but in your own. It is you therefore that do your ſelves the greateſt miſchief. God afflicts your body, or men wrong you in your ſtate of name (a ſmall hurt if it go on further;) and therefore you will afflict your ſoul! But a ſadder thing yet is it to conſider of, that men fearing God ſhould ſo highly value the things of the world. They who in their Convenants with Chriſt are engaged, to renounce the world, the fleſh and the devil! They that have taken God in Chriſt for their Portion, for their All! and have reſigned themſelves and all that they have to Chriſts diſpoſe! whoſe very buſineſs in this world, and their Chriſtian life, conſiſteth ſo much in reſiſting the devil, mortifying the fleſh, and overcoming the world: and it is Gods buſineſs in his inward works of Grace, and his outward teachings, and ſharp afflictions, and examples of others, to convince them of the vanity and vexation of the world, and throughly to wean them from it: And yet that it ſhould be ſo high in their eſtimation, and ſit ſo cloſe to their hearts, that they cannot bear the loſs of it without ſuch diſcontent, diſquiet and diſtraction of minde: Yea though when all is gone, they have their God left them, they have their Chriſt ſtill, whom they took for their Treaſure, they have opportunities for their ſouls, they have the ſure promiſe of Glory, yea and a promiſe, that all things ſhall work together for their good; yea and for that one thing that is taken from them, they have yet a hundred outward Mercies remaining; that yet even Believers ſhould have ſo much unbelief! and have their Faith to ſeek when they ſhould uſe it and live by it! and that God ſhould ſeem ſo ſmall in their eyes as not to ſatisfie or quit them, unleſs they have the world with him; and that the world ſhould ſtill ſeem ſo Amiable, when God hath done ſo much to bring it into contempt! Truly this (and more) ſhews that the work of Mortification is very imperfect in profeſſors, and that we bend not the force of our daily ſtrivings and endeavours that way. If Chriſtians did beſtow but as much time and pains, in Mortifying the fleſh, and getting down the Intereſt of it in the ſoul, that Chriſts Intereſt may be advanced, as they do about Controverſies, external duties, formalities, tasks of devotion, and ſelf tormenting fears, O what excellent Chriſtians ſhould we then be! and how happily would moſt of our diſquiet be removed! Alas, if we are ſo unfit to part with one outward comfort now, upon the diſpoſal of our fathers providence, how ſhould we forſake all for Chriſt? or what ſhall we do at death when all muſt be parted with. As ever therefore you would live in true Chriſtian Peace, ſet more by Chriſt, and leſs by the world, and all things in it; and hold all that you poſſeſs, ſo looſely, that it may not be grievous to you when you muſt leave them.
So much for the Troubles that ariſe from your Body and outward ſtate: All the reſt ſhall be directed for the Curing of thoſe Troubles that ariſe immediatly from more Spiritual Cauſes.